Question

I mean to change my desktop soon and want to completely erase my hard disk. Can anyone suggest some good software packages to do this?

Answer 1

Hi, Jimmy!! May I know, whether you're trying to replace the HDD? A simple format will erase all your Data on the HardDisk(HDD) and you doesn't need any softwares to do it.

Answer 2

Darik's boot and Nuke is the best hard drive erasing software I've come across to date. It's a boot CD that does DoD (Department of Defense) level wipes. Link for it below: http://www.dban.org/

Answer 3

You don't need sofware to wipe out your HDD... So easy as turn on pc, choose recovery partition or insert recovery disk from your pc-> Select Recovery PC to Default Fabric state and your pc shall return to none.

Then you can install the OS you want, or you can do this without wiping out the HDD, since installing a new OS has to Format the HDD anyways...

What you want is a software to back up your machine or you can do it manually by draging the stuff to an external HDD.

What I want is to convert or transfer or copy my Windows 7 partition from the HDD to an VHDD, then I can have all my stuff inside a virtual partition in a virtual disk and store it as is inside an external HDD for backup. After that, wipe out the whole disk, then install other OS for dual, tripple or quad boot and then back up with a recoveryt tool to transfer the VHDD to an actual HDD... I believe this is possible, may be it needs to be done in OS to BOOT status and the OS again....

Answer 4

i have copied all the data i need to an external hard disk and will give my old computer to a family member. I just don't want any of my personal data to be seen by anyone else.

Answer 5

Well wipe out the whole disk by re-installing an OS , that way you will format the actual one and have a brand new OS in the HDD of that PC. The only problem is the key for the OS, at least for Windows and Mac OS, as for linux based, you don't need to worry since those are free and do not require a key, anyways those OS that need key, well buy it or get it :)

If you really concern about your data, well just change that HDD by other for that PC you giving away, or use that DBAN thing to nuke your HDD more deeply...

I say it is enough to just format the disk by re-installing anothe OS in that HDD...

Answer 6

Use LiveCD or LIVEUSB ,you can sabyon , Ubuntu 11.04(any other linux based OS) and format the hard disk. . .